Bonuses for bailout officials?

Pay out more taxpayer money…to get back more taxpayer money?

Government auditors say the Treasury Department might need to award bonuses to its staff to finish efforts to recoup billions of bailout dollars.

Bonuses became a flash point for public outrage during the financial crisis. Companies such as American International Group paid out millions just after they accepted billion-dollar rescue packages.

That outrage extended to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers created tough new rules banning cash bonuses, retention payments and other pay practices by any company holding bailout money.

Now, the officials who monitor those hundreds of companies might need some bonuses themselves, Thomas McCool, director of applied research and methods with the Government Accountability Office, said last week.